diff --git a/src/callbacks.py b/src/callbacks.py
index 05d439627..8316f7e13 100644
--- a/src/callbacks.py
+++ b/src/callbacks.py
@@ -430,7 +430,11 @@ class IrcObjectProxy:
         if isinstance(self.irc, self.__class__):
             self.irc.error(msg, s)
         else:
-            self.irc.queueMsg(reply(msg, 'Error: ' + s))
+            s = 'Error: ' + s
+            if conf.errorReplyPrivate:
+                self.irc.queueMsg(ircmsgs.privmsg(msg.nick, s))
+            else:
+                self.irc.queueMsg(reply(msg, s))
 
     def killProxy(self):
         if not isinstance(self.irc, irclib.Irc):
diff --git a/test/test_callbacks.py b/test/test_callbacks.py
index 40380ca83..2de07269e 100644
--- a/test/test_callbacks.py
+++ b/test/test_callbacks.py
@@ -160,5 +160,24 @@ class PrivmsgTestCase(ChannelPluginTestCase):
         self.assertResponse("eval irc.reply(msg, 'foo', action=True)",
                             '\x01ACTION foo\x01')
 
+    def testErrorReplyPrivate(self):
+        try:
+            originalConfErrorReplyPrivate = conf.errorReplyPrivate
+            conf.errorReplyPrivate = False
+            # If this doesn't raise an error, we've got a problem, so the next
+            # two assertions shouldn't run.  So we first check that what we
+            # expect to error actually does so we don't go on a wild goose
+            # chase because our command never errored in the first place :)
+            s = 're s/foo/bar baz' # will error; should be "re s/foo/bar/ baz"
+            self.assertError(s)
+            m = self.getMsg(s)
+            self.failUnless(ircutils.isChannel(m.args[0]))
+            conf.errorReplyPrivate = True
+            m = self.getMsg(s)
+            self.failIf(ircutils.isChannel(m.args[0]))
+        finally:
+            conf.errorReplyPrivate = originalConfErrorReplyPrivate
+            
+
 
 # vim:set shiftwidth=4 tabstop=8 expandtab textwidth=78: